Auto brake



-F. B N-ri July 7 1936.

AUTO BRAKE Filed Julie 25, 1935 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 July 7,1936. v F BNTYZ' 2,046,316

AUTO BRAKE Filed June as, 1935 v 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 W 4 l 4 I I I I I I?:57 r

44 inventor I 1 Gttornegs Patented July 7, 1936 UNITED STATES PATENTOFFICE lclaim.

I This invention aims to provide a simple means whereby, when any onehydraulic wheel brake on a motor-propelled vehicle becomes inoperative,that brake will be cut out, the remaining .5 brakes continuing tofunction, and a signal being given, to indicate the particular brakewhich has played out.

It is within the province of the disclosure to improve generally and toenhance the utility of devices of that type to which the inventionappertains.

With the above and other objects in view, which will appear as thedescription proceeds, the invention resides in the combination andarrangement of parts and in the details of construction hereinafterdescribed: and claimed, it being understood that changes in the preciseembodiment of the invention herein disclosed, may be made within thescope or what is claimed, without departing from the spirit of theinvention.

In the accompanyiifidrawingsz Fig. 1 shows diagrammatically, and in topplan, a portion of a motor-propelled vehicle to which the device formingthe subject matter of this application has been applied;

Fig. 2 is a side elevation, showing the'deviceforming thesubject matterof this application, in relation td'the brake pedal;

Fig. 3 is a vertical longitudinal section of the device hereinafterdescribed and claimed, the signal mechanism being added diagrammati-Fig. 4 is a transverse section on the line 4-4 of Fig. 3;

Fig. 5 is a transverse section on the line 55 of Fig. 3;

Fig. 6 is a horizontal transverse section taken through the inlet; Fig.'7 is an end elevation of the valve seat or Fig. 8 is a longitudinalsection of the valve seat or guide.

In Fig. 1 and in Fig. 2 there is shown a por- 5 tion I of the frame ofan automobile. The brake pedal is indicated at 2 and is movably mountedat 3, in the usual way. The brake pedal 2 is operatively connected at 4with the master cylinder 5, the fluid reservoir being shown at 8.

50 A conduit 1 connects the master cylinder 5 with the casing 8 of thedevice -forming the .subject matter of this application. Conduits 9connect the casing 8 with the hydraulic brakes it which are individualto the several wheels of 55 the vehicle.

the latches 2 l Describing in detail the structure which characterizesthe present invention, Fig. 3 shows that the casing B has side nipplesH, to which the conduits 9 are connected by threaded couplings l2.. Inits ends, the casing 8 has thread- 5 ed longitudinal bores l4, withwhich the nipples. Ii communicate. The threaded bores l4 oi eachlongitudinal pair are connected by cylinder bores l5, somewhat smallerthan the bores M, so as to form internal shoulders 16 in the 10 casing8.

Cup-shaped valve seats and guides H are threaded into the bores I4 andabut against .the shoulders [6, there being a valve seat at each end ofeach cylinder l5. In their outer 15 ends, the valve seats [1 haveopenings l8, around which are arranged other openings Hill, the openingsI00 being tapered.

Sleeves [9 are threaded into the outer ends of the bores ii, the innerends of the sleeves 20 It being spaced from the valve seats and guidesll longitudinally of the casing 8, so that there is a communicationbetween the openings l8 of the valve seats and guides and the nipplesII. In .the outer ends of the sleeves l9, insulating 5 members 20 arethreaded, or mounted otherwise.

The insulating members 20 carry latches 2|, such as spring fingers,projecting within the sleeves l9. At their inner ends, the latches 2|have teeth 22 which project toward each other. 30 At any suitable placeon the vehicle, for instance on the instrument board (not shown) ismounted a signal casing 23, which is diagrammatically indicated in Fig.3 of the drawings. This signal casing 23 carries a plurality 35 ofsignals, such as electric lamps 24, shown in Fig. 3. There is one lamp24 for each of the four wheel brakes ill. Each of the lamps 24 isappropriately marked, as shown at 25 in Fig. 3, to designate whetherthat lamp is a left lamp or 40 a right lamp, and each pair of lamps,considered with respect to the front and the back, is marked as shown at28 in Fig. 3, to indicate whether the pair under consideration is afront pair or a back pair. The lamps 24 are .vired individually, asindicated at 21, to each pair of It is unnecessary to trace out thecircuits in detail, since they are very simple and amply shown in Fig. 8of the drawings, this specification being addressed to a person -skilledin the Pistons 2B are mounted to reciprocate in the cylinders E5. Thepistons 28 ordinarily reciprocate freely, and are automatic inoperation,

but when it is desired to hold the pistons 28 v engaged with the pistons28.

fixed, for the purpose of bleeding the brake system, thismay be donethrough the instrumentality of holding devices, such as screws 28,threaded into the casing 8, and adapted to be The pistons 28 haveoppositely-projecting stems, 38, slidably mounted in the openings |8 inthe valve seats and guides At their outer ends, the stems 38 of thepistons 28 have heads 3|, adapted to be grasped by the teeth 22 of theresilient latches 2|. Compression springs 32 surround the piston stems38. At their irmer ends, the springs 32 abut against the pistons 28, andat their outer ends, the springs abut against the valve seats and guidesH, the parts I! being hollow or cupshaped, so' as to receive thesprings, when the springs are compressed. The pistons 28 function asvalves, adapted to open and close the openings I88 in the valve seatsand guides Intermediate its ends, the casing 8 is supplied with an inletnipple 33, which is joined by a coupling 34 to the conduit 1 of Fig. 1.In the casing 8 there are passages 35. These passages 35 communicate attheir outer ends with the inlet nipple 33, but at their inner ends, thesaid passages communicate with the cylinders IS, on opposite sides ofthe pistons 28: that is, one passage 35 leads to one side of one piston28, and another passage leads to the opposite side of the same piston.

If any one of the brake mechanisms l8 of Fig. 1 proves inoperative, thepressure on the corresponding side of one of the pistons 28 in Fig. 3 isrelieved, and that piston, say the uppermost piston in Fig. 3, being nolonger balanced by equal pressures on both sides of it, moves to theright and abuts against the corresponding member l'l, thereby closingthe openings I88 and cutting out the brake mechanism |8 which has becomeinoperative, since no fluid can pass from the left hand side of theuppermost piston in Fig. 3, through the corresponding openings I88pressure behind the piston, in contact with the valve seat l1, againstthe action of the corresponding compression spring 32. The function ofthe springs 32 is to aid in maintaining the piston 28 in thecentralized, balanced, or normally open position of Fig. 3.

When the head 3| of the stem 38 of the piston 28 engages with one pairof the spring latches 2|, the corresponding lamp circuit is closed, andone of the lamps 24 is lighted, the driver thus being admonished thatone of the brake mechanisms l8 has played out, the driver also beingadvised as to the particular brake which no longer is'fulfilling itspurpose.

when the pressure to the left of the uppermost piston 28 in Fig. 3, forexample, is relieved, the corresponding spring 32 will disengage thehead 3| of the stem 38 from the spring latches 2|, and restore thepiston to the position of Fig. 3.

Having thus described claimed is:

In a device of the class described, a casing provided intermediate itsends with cylinders 20 the invention, what is and provided in its endswith enlarged bores forming shoulders at the ends of the cylinders, thecasing having side outlets communicating with the bores intermediatetheir ends, cup shaped valve seats and guides mounted in the bores andabutting against the shoulders, the

seats and guides being located inwardly of the side outlets and havingouter end walls provided with central openings and with other openingsarranged around the central openings, tubular closure means in the outerends of the bores

